Honda Fit EV receives highest-ever EPA efficiency rating

Honda has announced that its new Fit EV has received a combined adjusted Environmental Protection Agency mile-per-gallon-equivalency rating of 118 MPGe, nudging it ahead of all of its nearest rivals in the emerging EV market

As the promised summer 2012 California and Oregon rollout of Honda's 2013 Fit EV approaches, the battle for "fuel" efficiency supremacy has begun. Honda has announced that its new battery electric vehicle has received a combined adjusted Environmental Protection Agency mile-per-gallon-equivalency rating of 118 MPGe (1.99 L/100km equivalent), nudging it ahead of all of its nearest rivals in the emerging EV market.

Honda reports that the EPA has given its Fit EV (which made its debut at last year's Los Angeles Auto Show) a rating of 132 MPGe (1.78L/100km) for city driving, 105 (2.24) for highway and 118 combined, plus a very low consumption of only 29 kWh per 100 miles (160 km), a combined city/highway estimated driving range rating of 82 miles (131.9 km) and an estimated annual "fuel" cost of just US$500. As you can see from the table below, that puts the five-passenger battery electric vehicle ahead of all of its nearest competitors - the i-MIEV, the Leaf and the Focus Electric:

The vehicle features a 20 kWh Li-ion battery that can be recharged in less than three hours from a 240-volt circuit, and a 92 kilowatt/123 horsepower high-density coaxial electric motor which delivers 254 Nm of torque (compared to 143 Nm offered by the gas-powered Fit/Jazz vehicle). The Fit EV has a top speed of 92 mph (148 km/h) and can sprint from zero to 60 mph (96.5 km/h) in 9.5 seconds. It also benefits from fully-independent suspension and a three-mode drive system adapted from the company's CR-Z Sport Hybrid model.

The initial leasing cost of the 2013 Fit EV has been slightly revised since launch to $389 per month for three years, and the MSRP comes in at $37,415.

The Fit EV has a top speed of 92 mph and can sprint from zero to 60 mph in 9.5 seconds

Honda has announced that its new Fit EV has received a combined adjusted Environmental Protection Agency mile-per-gallon-equivalency rating of 118 MPGe, nudging it ahead of all of its nearest rivals in the emerging EV market

Honda reports that the EPA has given its Fit EV a rating of 132 MPGe for city driving, 105 for highway and 118 combined

The vehicle features a 20 kWh Li-ion battery that can be recharged in less than 3 hours from a 240 volt circuit